Don't You Dare Me
by dune-ashes
Summary: Arthur is being an insolent prat again and teases Merlin mercilessly about his virginity. Merlin, on the other hand, is really... reckless while talking back to his prince. Arthur/Merlin, a bet and many eyes on them while smexing. Oh my.
1. Chapter 1

I wrote this story for a prompt: _Arthur always teases him about the fact that he's the only one of their group still being a virgin. His snarky comments annoy Merlin so much, that one day he challenges Arthur in front of their friends to fuck him and put an end to his misery._

So, um, yes. Enjoy my interpretation.

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It happens all the time now, and Merlin can't even say that it's not getting to him anymore. What exactly made Arthur so damn interested in his love life recently, anyway? It's probably his another oh-so-brilliant idea of making fun of him, obviously; without a slightest shade of guilt or realization – a royal prat he is, what to expect- that maybe it's going a bit too far sometimes.

Arthur's little comments started few weeks ago, when Merlin accidentally walked on him naked in his chambers, getting ready to take a bath his _awful_ manservant forgot to prepare.

One time Arthur tried not to pester Merlin about failing in his duties, and that's what came out of it. Sadly. On the bright side – Arthur's bright, that is- Merlin's reaction was almost precious, though – getting as red as he'd never been in his life (at least Arthur thought that it wasn't possible to turn a deeper shade of crimson), his ridiculously huge ears burning with shame and innocent guilt. Before Arthur managed to ask _'What the hell was he doing, that idiot,'_ Merlin clumsily stumbled back on the tub, spilling the hot water everywhere, his so very blue eyes avoiding his prince's muscular figure as best as he could.

That's what happened in short; a miserable catalyst of Merlin's continuous humiliation. Which isn't helping especially now, when his fair prince decided on a hunting trip, taking his best knights to accompany him as well as his terribly incompetent manservant.

'I can't believe it, Merlin,' Arthur starts about thirty five minutes ten seconds after they left Camelot, smiling awfully impish at Merlin, riding his horse next to him. 'You're a _peasant _and you get shocked looking at another man's body? Are you even aware where do babies come from?'

Merlin bravely chooses to ignore his questions, perfectly aware that knights riding closest to them can hear their every word even while pretending they're suddenly very busy.

'If I was of so much shock to you, have you ever seen a woman naked? I bet not… what you would do then could be a scary thing.'

Merlin still pretends to admire trees, even if they're all goddamn the same.

'Merlin, are you deaf now?'

'Sire,' Merlin finally shrugs nonchalantly on his horse, trying to look unimpressed. Maybe that will make Arthur cut his childish talk.

'Well?' No such luck.

'Well…?' Merlin repeats dumbly, getting really tired of that game.

'Country boy being a virgin forever… that sounds good, don't you think?' Arthur says in a smart conclusion and finally looks away from him, turning to his men riding silently behind them. 'Hurry up. We don't have a whole day to hunt… need to set up a camp before it gets dark.'

Merlin is moderately happy during the hunt itself, because Arthur is obviously busy then and obviously too occupied with his task to throw stupid comments.

Good things don't last in Merlin's life for too long though, so everything comes back to 'normal' after they set up a camp later this day.

A camp fire is burning, warming them pleasantly as they sit in a circle around it, talking about day's events, about recent feasts and things happening in Camelot. Then they drink a bit, not too much, but enough for the conversation to become a little bit more lewd.

Arthur is being stubborn and in his prattish mood so that he doesn't offer Merlin a drink, ignoring him as he's exchanging lecherous comments with his knights. They talk about women and about men, about all those dirty nights they spent with them or wish to. The circle is getting tighter and tighter and finally Merlin has to press his side to Arthur's a bit reluctantly, feeling unusually… dizzy.

'So, Merlin,' when he hears Arthur's voice apparently trying to question him again, something in Merlin's body burns unpleasantly. 'Maybe you can tell us a story as well? Oh wait, -' then the prince pretends to think about something deeply before adding, 'You don't have anything to say in that matter, don't you? And to think your mouth just won't shut when you're supposed to fulfill your daily duties and do your _job_…'

There's something bitter in Arthur's voice and Merlin's eyes narrow in sudden anger.

He won't talk to him about that when everyone can hear. He won't talk to him like that, or…or…

'Would you just cut it?' Merlin shouts before he thinks through that move and its consequences. 'Can't you stop talking about my lack of…sexual experience? Is it really that funny that I've never done _that?_ Maybe I didn't want to?_'_ His ears are awfully red again as he spats an ironic - 'Sire?'

Everyone falls silent for a moment, but Merlin is still so furious he barely notices. He wants this to stop. Now.

'Excuse me?' Arthur just asks in an unnaturally polite manner.

Merlin gets up.

'Why are you telling me all of this … _my prince_?' Merlin continues, determined to put his point across. 'Maybe you want to teach me all those complicated sexual techniques you possess a wide knowledge of? Here and now? Is that your objective, Sire? Go on. '

Arthur's mouth gaps a bit at his words.

'Excuse me?' he repeats a bit dumbly after his manservant, too stunned to think for a moment.

Merlin gives him a victorious smile then, content to the extreme that he was able to corner his insolent prince and turns away to leave.

'And where are you going now, Merlin?' Arthur asks, his voice suddenly low and dangerous as he regains his composure, sending shivers down Merlin's spine as he gets to his feet and catches his manservant's arm.'I thought you wanted me to show you?'

Smile fades from Merlin's face as the realization dawns upon him. This time he feels like asking – 'Excuse me?' , but his voice is lost somewhere and probably won't return any soon.

_No __one talks like that to a prince without consequences. _Isn't that what Arthur once told him?

'Or maybe you didn't mean it?' Arthur dares him again. He can't back off now.

Merlin gulps and glances at all those knights who observe them in shocked amusement. Arthur wants to make a fool out of him again; a stupid country boy who can't even talk back and defend himself.

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Hope you like it so far. And remember - reviews are more loved than cookies and make me keep going !


	2. Chapter 2

I am very sorry that updating took so long : ( I also changed a bit my original plot, and it become a bit more angsty instead of humorous , but I hope you'll like it anyway, because the sadness will be gone soon ; )

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Merlin focuses his sight on Arthur's face and realizes to some extent of his own dismay that firstly, it looks ridiculously handsome in this moment, – wait, what ? Did he just think Arthur's face is … _handsome_? The world is reaching its end, no less – and secondly, that he doesn't really _want _to get away anymore. He is smarter than the prat anyway, right? Merlin feels a wave of self-confidence overwhelming him a short while before he crosses his arms on his chest and stares back at the prince with all the guts he can muster.

'Wait, what was the question again?' he asks with obvious mockery. 'I guess I didn't catch that right.'

Arthur stares at him with the 'you are dumber than you look' type of expression that turns to 'one more word and I will kill you' soon enough, but before he manages to answer Merlin cuts in again.

'Oh, no… I remember now, you expressed a certain fondness of my lack of sexual experience.' Merlin smirks at him mercilessly. 'And then… wait, didn't you, like … ask me to do _things_ with you?'

Arthur stares at him blankly, which Merlin interprets as very, VERY slow reconsidering of what was said. Good for him.

'But I must be mistaken.' The sorcerer corrects himself with fake concern in his tone, perfectly aware of how boiling with anger Arthur must be now. Everyone around is perfectly aware of that as well, anyway. Hard not to, especially when the prince stands still with one of the dumbest expressions Merlin has ever seen, his teeth seeming even more crotched than usual.

'I am but a servant, how would that kind of thought ever cross your mind, my Lord?'

Despite the obvious fury – most of the times Arthur knows even before Merlin opens his mouth that his manservant is going to do the irritating _smart-ass talk_ again - the prince realizes that he has a point. Not that he will say that out loud. There's more to that – in spite of his royalty , which serves him oh so right, it is not that sleeping with someone from the lower cast did not cross Arthur's mind. It did. More than once, after Merlin became _his _–

'M'lord, am I excused?' Merlin asks after a longer while of triumphal silence, sympathizing with Arthur's almost pained, pensive expression. He chuckles in his mind thinking just how dumb Arthur looks now, staring at him angrily yet unmistakeably deked out of his jock. Perfect.

Knights start to whisper between themselves and Merlin is quite sure that he has an advantage right now, so he takes a step back with an intention to retreat to the tent. To wait for the consequences when Arthur is still struck dumb seems like a very bad idea, so he tries to be fast enough before the prince composes himself and realizes that he is probably _very _offended. And needs Merlin punished.

One foot before the other and he is almost there, tip-toeing forward, so close to the tent, almost, almost… just when Sir Lean shifts somewhere beside the fire and spills water from a bowl, making Arthur lucid in the very moment.

'The hell you think you're going, Merlin?'

Great.

'I thought you do not require my service anymore, my Lord?' Merlin tries with hope.

'Oh but I do. And I think you're mistaken about one or two things, which I'd like to clarify now.'

Merlin shifts a brow.

'Like what?'

'Why don't you come closer, Merlin? Don't tell me you were going to run away just a second ago? Surely you're not afraid of anything?'

Arthur's suddenly smug expression doesn't mean anything good, that Merlin is certain of. It's not like he has a choice though, so he forces his feet to reluctantly bring his jelly-like body back in front of the prince. The tipsy prince. The prince who is now without a doubt staring at his crotch intensively, which would be funny in any other circumstances but surely isn't making him any happier right now. Once again Merlin feels everyone staring at him in the way that makes him feel suddenly naked and exposed, vulnerable and alone.

'Good,' Arthur says once they're facing each other again and Merlin realizes that he looks much less drunk than just a while ago. 'First of all, you're wrong about…'

And then his lips touches Merlin's, surprisingly lightly, like a flutter of butterflies against his hot skin. They hear gasps, but Arthur doesn't seem to care – his hand rests almost protectively against the nape of Merlin's neck, urges him just a bit forward, savoring his soft lips. His tongue plays with the delicate skin in the corner of his servant's mouth and the simple idea of it doing so makes Merlin flush despite best efforts not to.

'…the fact, that I treat servants like they're worse people.' Arthur finishes, and Merlin realizes that his mouth are gone, that he's staring into his eyes instead of the dark space of the forest in a bliss like a moment ago.

He should retort that this is _precisely_ what Arthur does, throwing things at him and acting like he owes him no respect at all, but something inside of him seals the words before he manages to say them out loud. There was a moment between them, something strange that Merlin didn't expect to happen, yet secretly wished to. This is all he needs, all he wants, and he can let Arthur triumph for once just because he made him feel something like this. He holds his gaze in silence. The memory of Arthur is still sweet on his tongue.

'And no, I did not ask you to do _things_ with me , as you accused…' Arthur says , his breath so close, so hot on Merlin's neck. _Can anyone hear us now?,_ Merlin ponders. 'I simply dared you to do what you desire to do, and I shall accept that with honor like a knight would.'

'What you did wasn't too noble, my Lord.' Merlin hisses into his ear, blood rushing in his veins madly. 'Is provoking me into doing this making you a fine knight?'

'Maybe not.' Arthur smiles and places a kiss on his shoulder, for once glad that Merlin took off his neckerchief when they sat beside the fire. 'If that makes you feel better, that is. But…' his tongue darts to lick and explore his manservant's jaw. 'It is knight's duty to make those below him feel safe…and content.'

Merlin's eyes closed. This was too good.

'And how can you say you treat us evenly, while I am still being the one _below_?'

'But you are now.' Arthur mocks, and suddenly pushes Merlin onto the ground, hovering above him. 'Aren't you?'

'This is low.' Merlin says, but his voice is suddenly small and insecure, pressed somewhere against the back of this throat. Arthur is seated on him, as heavy as ever, a bit dangerous - his face looks unreadable in the light of the fire, his hands grab Merlin's tiny wrists and pin them above his head.

'Indeed. Would you rather do this while standing?' Arthur is so close again, which almost look like he's becoming a part of him, finally sealing the coin's both sides.

'I would rather not do this at all.' Merlin spits bravely, writhing underneath his heavy body. 'Not to prove something to you, which I do not need. Especially not when you're drunk.'

'I am not that drunk.' Arthur argues, moving one hand to hold Merlin's wrists, while the second rests at his side, lifting the fabric of his shirt. 'It's just that you are afraid.'

Merlin struggles with his foggy mind that wants to push Arthur away while keeping him close in the same time, but when the other claws at the sensitive skin of his stomach like he's some kind of a prey he realizes that this cannot continue like this. He is not an animal to be bared in front of everyone to see, not a prize to claim when one feels like it. He may be a servant, and he might be a hated sorcerer – about which Arthur doesn't know, of course – but he is still a human being, deserving to be treated better. Even if that means that Arthur won't touch him ever again while being sober, a malicious voice in his head whispers. He shakes those thoughts away. So be it.

'Arthur, stop.' He says loud and clear, playful note in his tone gone. 'Get off me.'

'Which part of this you do not like?' Arthur mocks again, his palm wide and strong on Merlin's bony sides. 'That you cannot break free, even if you don't want to? Or that others are watching your eagerness?'

'Just stop.'

'I don't think so, no.'

Merlin refuses to panic. He doesn't panic, no matter what happens – there is always a solution. He feels worn out when Arthur touches him, gropes him, and even if he deserves that kind of punishment it has gone too far for both of them. A sound of distress escapes his mouth and in this moment Arthur stares into his deer-like eyes, so big and innocent, and stops just when Sir Leon manages a weak: 'Sire…' , somewhere behind them.

Arthur looks up and Merlin uses this moment of his distraction to send a magically broken branch to land painfully onto his prince's back. Arthur rolls off of him and growls with pain

as Merlin stands up quickly, his eyes wild and cheeks flushed.

The knights rush to help, and Arthur catches with the corner of his eye the silhouette of Merlin running away into the forest.

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